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  • Q&A with Australian Health Practitioners

    Confused...Menopause or not?

    Related Topics
    Menopause Women's Health
    I have a Mirena in place and so I do not menstruate regularly; I do however have bleeding and spotting and on my GP's referral have been placed on the waiting list for a hysterectomy. Meantime, I find I am not tired until the wee hours, often surviving on 6 hours sleep a day and my weight seems to have a life of it's own, ballooning by 3kgs a day sometimes. It is nigh impossible for me to drop below 85kg (I'm 5'4" and size 14) regardless of what I do, although a severe bout of gastro kept me bed-bound for a week prior to Christmas and that certainly dropped my weight by 5kg's…only to creep back on. My skin is tending to break-out mildly when, I assume, my cycle is active as it is a regular monthly occurrence. My GP recommended the FODMAP diet for me and I have been following it loosely to no real effect, except that I don't feel so ‘bound up’ these days. I retain fluid like a sponge and often my feet are so tight and swollen that I can't actually bend at the ankle. Is this Menopause?
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    • Women's Health Queensland Wide
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  • Women's Health Queensland Wide

    Women's Health Queensland Wide provides free health information for Queensland women. View Profile

    The term ‘menopause’ literally means the last menstrual period and since you have a mirena and are not having periods this makes it a little confusing to time menopause. Your may be experiencing some peri- menopausal symptoms (this is the time before menopause when hormone function begins to fluctuate and women can report numerous and varied symptoms) Also what makes this more confusing is that the vageness of the sypmtoms some of which may be related to other conditions. I encourage you to read our fact sheet re Menopause - here is a link, just click on this http://www.womhealth.org.au/conditions-and-treatments/213-menopause
    Also, it may be useful to check if your GP has done a thyroid function test as the health of the thyroid can have an effect on metabalism and hence weight. If you want a good effect from the FODMAP diet it would be helpful if you followed it more closely - you say you have only followed it loosely but it seems to have had a very positive effect on your bowel function.
    Brenda
    Women’s Health Educator
    Health Information Line, Women’s Health Queensland Wide

    Women living in Queensland can also call our Health Information Line - a free information and referral service for Queensland women - on 3839 9988 or 1800 017 676 (toll free outside Brisbane).

    Please note that all health information provided by Women’s Health Queensland Wide is subject to this disclaimer

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